Gardener's Diary 

This is the time of year to choose and order your seeds for the kitchen and flower garden.. I like to browse www.thompson-morgan.com where full information is available on their product varieties and orders can be taken on-line.  Have a look to see what is new, and special seasonal offers.

You don't need a dedicated vegetable garden because tomatoes, lettuce and many types of vegetables can be grown in amongst the flowers in your borders. 

If you have a patio there is no reason why you can’t grow vegetables and fruit throughout the Summer.  Any container will do as long as it has sufficient drainage. Terracotta may look good, but it takes more watering than a plastic one. With vegetable growing the bigger the container the better. It provides a good cool root run and watering is required less often.

Some new plants from Thompson-morgan

Jobs for the month..

• Plastic flower pots and dirty seed trays should be washed thoroughly with disinfectant added to the water, then stacked away ready for use in the spring. 

• This is an excellent time of year for moving shrubs that are growing in the wrong place, or those that have outgrown their position. Aim to lift established plants with as large a rootball as possible. Prepare the soil in the new position by adding some compost...

• Enjoy a mild day by hoeing out any stray weeds that have overwintered.

• Keep paths clear of debris and ice.

• Check tree ties to ensure they aren't cutting into the bark. Replace any that are worn or damaged.  Remove labels on young trees when you plant them.

• It is a good time to spread a thick mulch of compost,  bark chippings or similar material over borders and between trees. This should be done before plants start into growth and will help to kill any early weeds. 

• Keep winter-flowering houseplants such as cyclamen and hyacinths in a cool position in a good light to extend their flowering season, avoiding draughts or dry heat. 

• If you have sown some flower seeds already, ensure they have plenty of natural light if possible and keep them cool once germinated.. Don`t overwater them either or they will dampen off and die.

• Check over any Begonia or other tubers that you are overwintering because they'll probably be starting into growth. If you have a conservatory the tubers can be potted up and kept frost-free.

• Overwintered pelargoniums can be stripped of dead flowers and tidied up ready for cuttings to be taken in March/April.. I know the correct time of year to take cuttings is August, but I find they die off over winter, whereas spring cuttings from overwintered stock plants grow splendidly.

Volunteering with the National Trust

Volunteers are active in all parts of the National Trust, from the new central office in Swindon to the summits of Snowdonia and Divis Mountain near Belfast.

View their latest opportunities, or find out more about the kind of roles and different places you can volunteer:

Still with the National Trust, some of the most visited National Trust properties are now holding regular farmers' and food markets.  Click here for details  and dates.

RHS gardens

Their four flagship gardens not only provide year-round interest and offer a wide range of courses, talks and demonstrations, they also demonstrate the best gardening practices, new techniques and exciting new plants to try in your garden.

• Visit Wisley in Surrey
• Visit Rosemoor in Devon
• Visit Hyde Hall in Essex
• Visit Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire

Or go to their website for a diary of all other events at:-    http://www.rhs.org.uk/WhatsOn/index.asp

Do you take advantage of the BBC Gardening website for information? I find it a valuable source of information, for up to date legislation, countryside matters and useful information such as plant pests and diseases, which saves me ploughing through all my gardening books, with the knowledge that their information is bang up to date...

Thompson & Morgan 

Visit  www.thompson-morgan.com where full information is available on their product varieties and orders can be taken on-line.  Have a look to see what is new, and special seasonal offers

Some places to visit...

www.edenproject.com 

The living theatre of plants and people
The Eden Project is a gateway into the world of plants and people. A meeting place for all to discover how we depend on plants and how we can help to manage and conserve them for our mutual survival.

Kew Gardens two locations:-

http://www.rbgkew.org.uk/

The National Botanic Gardens of Scotland comprise:

Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Scotland's Premier Garden

Benmore Botanic Garden, Argyll
Argyll's Magnificent Mountainside Garden

Dawyck Botanic Garden, Borders
Wonderful Woodland Garden

Logan Botanic Garden, Galloway
Scotland's Most Exotic Garden

The National Botanic Garden of Wales

www.gardenofwales.org.uk

The star attraction here is the 91 metre long domed glasshouse, that houses landscapes normally found in the Mediterranean. This would be a super place to visit on a chilly day...

Some websites of interest to gardeners:-

www.carryongardening.co.uk

Gardening is an important part of many people's lives. You don't have to give up gardening because of accident or illness, the onset of disability or the problems associated with growing older. The information on their website is designed to provide you with the information to Carry on Gardening.

Carry on Gardening was initiated by the horticultural charity Thrive and is funded by the National Lottery Charities Board.  It brings together information on easy ways of gardening gathered over 23 years by Thrive and research carried out since the early 1970s by Mary Marlborough Centre, Oxford, on tools and equipment for disabled and older people. 

Useful reading:-

"The Yellow Book" contains information of all Gardens of England and Wales open for charity, and can be bought priced ?5 from National Gardens Scheme  www.ngs.org.uk

National Trust Gardens Handbook is ?6.99 and the new edition is out in May  Telephone 01394 389 950 or see their website www.nationaltrust.org.uk

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